Pipes leak or fail structurally over time and periodically require replacement or repair. Replacing certain pipes, especially underground, such as storm pipes or sewer pipes, can be extremely difficult and expensive. Accordingly, technologies have been developed to repair pipes in locations that are difficult to access, rather than to physically replace the pipe.
One repair technology involves the use of cured-in-place pipe liners that can be inserted within old pipes to essentially replace the old pipes. Specifically, cured-in-place pipe liners are known in which a flexible tube, or sock, is used to line the inner diameter of an old pipe. The liner may be constructed on a resin backed lining, or may have resin applied during the initial installation. The liner may be installed from one point of entry to another by one of several known techniques. With the liner in place within the pipe, the resin is cured and the liner essentially becomes a new pipe within the old pipe. The resin may be cured by one of several known techniques, including UV curing. Cure-in-place pipe liners are cost effective for several reasons, including because access is necessary only at the upstream and downstream ends of the pipe segment to be lined, which commonly are readily accessible through manholes.
One type of cured-in-place pipe is made from a glass fabric in a winding process on a mandrel, such as for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,780 issued Mar. 26, 2002 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,875 issued Sep. 9, 2003, which are each incorporated in their entireties.